Welcome New Leadership, Honor Legacy
Lakeland Health recently named Brandi Smith-Gordon as Vice President of Philanthropy and President, Lakeland Health Foundations. Prior to assuming this role, Brandi served as Director of Development, Lakeland Health Foundations. Brandi comes to Lakeland with 20 years of experience in development, journalism, television, and film production and marketing. She is also working toward her Master’s in Public Health at the University of Michigan to be completed in May of 2018. Brandi earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from Howard University. “I consider it a tremendous privilege to serve Lakeland Health Foundations in a capacity which connects the community through their generosity to the mission of our health system,” said Brandi. “I intend to continue to build upon the strong philanthropic foundation that David Burghart and those before him have established.”
After seven years serving as President, Lakeland Health Foundations and Vice President of Philanthropy, David Burghart, CFRE, retired in April. In his time at Lakeland, David oversaw the volunteer and chaplaincy programs and led the Foundations team to raise a total of $25 million for a number of system-wide initiatives. In retirement, David looks forward to consulting with hospitals across the country as they look to enhance their fundraising programs. “It has been a privilege to lead the fundraising efforts of Lakeland Health Foundations for the past seven years,” said David. “The good we have been able to accomplish is not the result of any particular person, but the result of the philanthropy of many. A host of people have given from their heart and now the whole community benefits. I can't think of a more noble cause to be affiliated with.”